The Latest: Hurricane Earl makes landfall near Belize City

Guatemalan army soldiers sing as they stand for review at their base, before the arrival of Hurricane Earl in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2016. Hurricane Earl bore down on the coast of the Caribbean nation of Belize with the danger of high surf and winds, while also threatening neighboring Guatemala and southern Mexico with torrential rains. (AP Photo/Luis Soto)
(The Associated Press)

BELMOPAN, Belize – The Latest on Hurricane Earl. (all times local):

12:25 a.m.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Earl has made landfall near Belize City, Belize, with maximum sustained winds near 80 mph (130 kph).

The hurricane is centered early Thursday about 5 miles (10 kilometers) southwest of Belize City and is moving west near 14 mph (23 kph).

A hurricane warning is in place for Belize and parts of Mexico, though the storm was expected to begin weakening when it moved ashore. The hurricane center says heavy rains will be a danger in southern Mexico through Saturday as Earl crosses the Yucatan Peninsula and the states of Tabasco and Veracruz.

In Belize, the government opened storm shelters and used radio and television broadcasts to urge residents of low-lying areas to move to higher ground.